Washington Presses Argentina to Ratify the US Trade Agreement
A deputy United States trade representative pressed two Argentine ministers in Buenos Aires. The accord signed in February has never been sent to Congress. The post Washington Presses Argentina to Ratify the US Trade Agreement appeared first on The Rio Times .
In August 2026, the United States urged Argentina to vote on a trade agreement, despite the pact having no legal force between the two countries. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeff Goettman, alongside Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and Economy Minister Luis Caputo, met in Buenos Aires on August 27th. The meeting occurred during a broader regional trip that also encompassed Chile.
According to a U.S. Embassy statement, the United States will uphold its obligations under the agreement and asserts that Argentina has made substantial progress towards compliance. However, no press release about the visit was issued by the U.S. Trade Representative's office in August 2026, making the information accessible through Argentine officials and embassy statements.
The Argentina-United States Trade Agreement, formally known as the United States-Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment (ARTI), was signed in February 2026 and entered into force 60 days after both nations formally notified each other that they had completed the necessary legal procedures. The agreement encompasses six sections, three annexes, and two tariff schedules.
Notably, it stipulates that Argentina will waive duties on 221 tariff lines upon the agreement's implementation, while reducing duties on another 20 lines, almost all of which are auto parts.
Interestingly, the agreement's schedule also introduces duty-free quotas for American beef and other goods. However, the beef quota is a peculiar aspect of the deal, as it appears in two separate figures. The Argentine side agrees to accept U.S. standards and FDA approvals and to expedite American mining projects under the Régimen de Incentivo para Grandes Inversiones (RIGI).
The U.S. side, in turn, removes its reciprocal tariff on 1,675 Argentine tariff positions, valued by Argentina at approximately US$1.01 billion in reactivated exports.
Despite the agreement's provisions, steel and aluminum remain under a 50% U.S. duty imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. This issue has not been revisited since February 2026. The Argentine Constitution allocates the power to approve or reject treaties to Congress, with the President subsequently ratifying the agreement.
While some parts of the pact can be implemented through executive decree or administrative resolution, the tariff changes and intellectual property conventions require legislative approval.
The Chamber of Deputies has approved accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty, but no progress has been made on the Argentina trade agreement. The political landscape in Argentina is complex, with various political parties holding differing numbers of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The government's ability to pass the trade agreement depends on securing a simple majority in both chambers, which is currently out of reach.
Written by urgent.news from The Rio Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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